§ 3.6 p.m.
§ LORD OGMOREMy Lords, I beg to ask Her Majesty's Government a Question of which I have given them Private Notice: namely, whether Her Majesty's Government have any statement to make on the provision of technical aid to Ghana.
THE EARL OF HOMEYes, my Lords, I am glad to say that the United Kingdom Government and the Government of Ghana have agreed in principle to give each other technical assistance on a mutual basis. We contemplate that under the scheme officers nominated by the Government of Ghana from among their younger public servants will come to the United Kingdom at our expense for training in practical and technical subjects. We will also be ready to supply the Government of Ghana with experts to fill specialist, technical and professional posts of a temporary or advisory nature, the costs of such experts being shared between our two Governments. In making this offer to the Ghana Government, we have sought to give further practical expression to co-operation in the technical assistance field with other Commonwealth countries, as we already do elsewhere—for example, through the part the United Kingdom plays in the Technical Co-operation Scheme under the Colombo Plan in South and South-East Asia.
The Government of Ghana have indicated their readiness to provide reciprocal assistance in fields in which they are able to make a significant contribution—for example, in the study of scientific and technical tropical problems of concern to us and to the Colonies. Details will be discussed between the two Governments. We warmly welcome the proposal of the Government of Ghana that this arrangement should be on a basis of mutual co-operation, which fully accords with the new status of Ghana.
§ LORD OGMOREMy Lords, we on this side of the House welcome the mutual co-operation to which the noble Earl has referred and we are glad indeed that this statement has been made so soon after Ghana has become an independent member of the Commonwealth. However, may I ask the noble Earl whether the 965 assistance referred to in his Answer is in addition to the scheme proposed for assistance by Commonwealth countries to emergent territories, and, secondly, whether some similar scheme can be made in relation to Malaya, if the Federation of Malaya Government require it?
THE EARL OF HOMEYes, my Lords, this scheme is in addition to any other scheme that may be organised for development in association with the Commonwealth countries. So far as Malaya is concerned, we should like to look at that question, when we get a little further with the talks which are going on at present about Malayan independence within the Commonwealth.